Rayne POV
I always thought the worst pain would be dying and losing everything you've behind, but i was so wrong, being rejected by your mate is worse than any of what have ever imagined.
The moment " Mateo" spoke those words, everything around me shattered into unpickable piece.
"I, Mateo, Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, reject you today, Rayne, as my mate." His voice echoed in my ears like a siren, cold and final, each Word's like a dagger piercing my chest.
The crowd around us fell silent, the pack members who had gathered to witness the ceremony now stunned into awkward stillness, while my heart race with pain.
The rejection ceremony was the worst.
It wasn't supposed to go like this, it wasn't planned for me to have the worst time of my life in front of all pack members.
I was supposed to stand by Mateo's side, to become his future Luna, to be the woman he chose above all others women of the pack.
But instead, he was ripping my heart out in front of everyone.
"You're not strong enough for me," Mateo continued, his expression cold and menacing.
His storm-gray eyes didn't even flinch as I stared at him, begging for this to be some sick nightmare or something else.
"You're weak. And I need a Luna who can match my strength, energy and I need someone who can make me proud."
'Weak' The word burned in my mind like flames of fire.
I wanted to scream at him, to demand why he was doing this to me in front of everyone.
But my throat was locked up, and my heart felt like it was being torn apart by a thousand claws.
I glanced at Cassandra , standing smugly beside him, her hand resting on his arm, claiming him for herself while he still give me the highest disgrace.
It had always been clear she wanted him, always been clear she thought herself better than me.
And tonight, she was winning me on that.
"This is my decision, Rayne," Mateo said, stepping back, his words as cold as the autumn wind sweeping through the clearing.
"Leave the Crescent Moon Pack now, Rayne. You're no longer one of us and you can never be one of us."
The world spun.
I could feel the mate bond breaking after his words, the raw pain coursing through my veins as if my soul itself was being torn in half.
I clutched at my chest, trying to breathe, trying to process what was happening to me.
"Leave," Mateo repeated, his voice like a sharp knife. "Now!"
I couldn't stay here anymore. Not like this. Not with all the eyes watching, seeing my humiliation, my downfall and my Rejection.
Without a word, I turned and ran away with pain in my veins.
I ran so fast, the trees around me blurred, the wind whipping at my face as my legs carried me far from the pack, from Mateo, from everything I had ever known as a young wolf girl.
My heart broken in my chest.
How could he do so to me? After everything? I had loved him for year's, trusted him.
The mate bond was sacred, unbreakable... until now.
My vision blurred with tears as I collapsed to my knees in the forest, giving a sorrowful look.
The cold earth bit into my skin, but I didn't care at this point.
I didn't give any care about anything anymore.
"Pathetic."
The voice came from the shadows.
I whipped around, heart racing faster than usual. I wasn't alone as I had thought.
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward, looking tall, broad-shouldered, with eyes that gleamed unnaturally in the dim light.
A predator. I scrambled back, my instincts screaming, but my legs were too weak to go further into the forest.
"You reek of rejection," the stranger said, his lips curling into a cruel smile, while my heart racing.
"I could smell it from miles away."
"Who are you?" I asked, trying to summon the strength to stand and fight for myself.
He took another step closer to me, his presence overwhelming, suffocating and intidimidating.
"Names don't matter at this point," he said, his voice calm.
"What really matters is that you, little wolf, are in more trouble than you realize you are."
A low growl rumbled in my throat.
Whoever this stranger was, I wasn't going down without a fight with him.
"Stay back," I warned this time looking Strong and firece.
He laughed at me, a dark, sinister sound that sent shivers down my spine.
"Or what? You'll attack me? With what power? You're weak, remember? Your mate made sure of that in front of everyone."
His words hit harder than any physical blow, cutting into the wounds Mateo had left behind on me.
I tried to push myself to my feet, to get away, but he was too fast than I ever think.
In a blink, he was in front of me, gripping my arm with an iron hold that was so strong.
"Let go of me!" I snarled, struggling against him, but he didn't care a minute.
"Shh..." His voice dropped to a low whisper, dangerous but smooth.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Rayne. In fact, I'm here to help you. You see, I know what it's like to be rejected, to be tossed aside like you're nothing. But unlike you, I didn't let it break me."
I stopped struggling, my breath coming in ragged gasps.
There was something in his voice, a strange intensity that sent chills down my spine.
"You don't know anything about me,you stranger," I spat.
"Oh, but I do." His eyes gleamed in the moonlight that swept the whole area.
"I know you were supposed to be the Luna of the pack. I know Mateo threw you away for someone stronger and energetic. And I know you're not going to take this lying down like a piece of trash"
"What do you want from me, Mr?" I demanded, my voice shaking this time.
He leaned in closer, his breath warm against my skin.
"I want to give you power. Real power. The kind that makes people fear you, not pity you."
For a moment, I was speechless with his useless words to me.
Power? After everything I'd just lost, the idea of having power, of being able to fight back, sent a surge of energy through me.
But there was something about him, something dark and twisted.
"How true are you?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
He smiled, slow and menacing.
"There's no catch, little wolf. All you have to do is accept my help, and you'll never feel weak again as a wolf. You'll never have to run from anyone again—especially not from Mateo and Cassandra."
My heart skipped a beat at the mention of the both name.
The thought of confronting Mateo, of making him regret every cruel word, every cold glance, filled me with a burning desire I couldn't ignore at all.
But I knew this wasn't right at all.
Whoever this stranger was, he wasn't offering salvation, at all.
He was offering something much darker, more dangerous than I've ever wanted.
Before I could answer, a howl pierced the night.
It wasn't from the pack. It was something else. Something wild and dangerous.
The stranger's grin widened at once.
"Ah, it seems your time is up. You don't have long to decide, Rayne. Will you embrace the power I offer, or will you continue running, weak and broken for the rest of your life?"
I stood frozen with multiple thoughts, torn between the hunger for revenge and the fear of what he was really offering to me.
The howl came again, closer this time. And then, through the trees, I saw them looking so dangerous and menacing- Rogues.
Dozens of them, their eyes glowing with hunger as they closed in on me, Making my anxiety level increase.
"Tick-tock, little wolf," the stranger whispered, with himself closer to me.
"What will it be now?"
I had seconds to decide what my fate would be like.
And with the rogues closing in, my time had run out faster than I expected.